Letter, online petition to block Roque’s application for asylum

MANILA, Philippines — A formal letter to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Services and an online petition have been made to block former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s application to seek asylum in the Netherlands.

In a social media post, Filipino-born Dutch citizen Joel Vega said he wrote a letter to the Director-General of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Services to reject the application of Roque.

Vega cited the following grounds to reject Roque’s asylum application:

• Roque’s asylum request has no basis, as there are no well-founded reasons for his claim of political persecution in the Philippines.
• It is a “deceptive strategy” for Roque to avoid investigation or possible liability on his alleged connection with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo).
• Approving or providing asylum for Roque would make Dutch institutions a party to Roque’s intentions to subvert a valid probe into the Pogo issues.
• Roque’s motive to “elude accountability or investigations” into his supposed links to Pogo violates Dutch rules on asylum procedures, as Roque does not face or is not threatened with torture or execution in his country of birth.
• Roque flew to the Netherlands following the arrest of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who is charged before the International Criminal Court with committing crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs.

However, Roque will not be a part of Duterte’s legal team.

READ: Palace to Harry Roque: ‘Defend yourself first before defending others’

Commenting on Roque’s plan to apply for political asylum, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro advised the former to defend himself first before others.

“As of now, you may have already heard that Atty. Harry Roque will no longer be part of former President Duterte’s legal team. If he had said that he would be there and wouldn’t go home because he would represent his president, perhaps it would be better for him to represent himself first, to defend himself before defending others,” Castro said in a Palace briefing last March 19.

“Well, anyway, regarding his asylum, perhaps the Palace will only react once a warrant of arrest has been issued and if he is indeed facing a criminal case in court,” she added.